Rail-joint for metallic bedsteads.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

G. J. WITZEL. RAIL JOINT FOR METALLIC BEDSTEADS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1902;

N0 MODEL.

A from/E Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CHARLES J. WITZEL, OF BROOKLYN, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND GUSTAVEA. HELM AND BENJAMIN SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed May 27, 1902.

To all whom it may concern: I 1

Be it known that I, CHARLES J.,VVITZEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county'of Kings andState of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovemen'ts inRail- Joints for Metallic Bedst-eads; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as' will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for preven ting motion or play between therails and corner-posts of brass and other metallic bed-' steads.Heretofore these rails have been con nected with the post by means of afixed joint or connection, and in case the joint is imperfectly made orbecomes loose from any cause there is no way by which it can betightened or the wear or play taken up and the rigidity of the jointrestored. This is a serious defect in the old construction of'metallicbedsteads on account of the difficulty of keeping them firm andimmovable, especially because when the bedsteads are set up in wareroomsfor storage or display where short side In the accompanyingdrawings,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the head and foot corner-postson one side of a metallic bedstead connected together by means of theshort side rails employed for setting up these bedsteads in ware rooms.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a corner-post and a plan of thebracket connected therewith and of a side and head (or foot) rail,showing the joints be-- tween the ends of these rails and the brackets,also showing the contrivances for tightening up the joints.

Fig. 3 is a side eleva- Patent No. 723,569, dated March 1903.

. Serial No. 109,233. (No model.)

tion of the part shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of the parts shown inFig. 2, but illustrating another mode of forming the joint.

Referring to the drawings, the head and foot corner-posts of one side ofthe bedstead are designated by the letters a b, a side rail by c, asection of an end rail (either foot or head) by d, and the corner-postbrackets by e. The side and end rails are each connected with thebracket e by means of a dovetail joint in this style of bedstead. In thebracket there are sockets f f, which are t-apered or splayed and whichopen through the 'faces g g of the bracket, the openings forming slots hh, having parallel sides. The sides of the brackets containing the slotsare faced off more or less squarely, and thus abutments Mare formed. Theside and end rails are each provided with square enlargements it it, andfrom these project screw-threaded necks ZZ, and on the ends of the necksthe tenons n n of the dovetail joints are formed, which taper or' aresplayed to correspond to the sockets in the bracket. On thescrew-threaded extensions take-up nuts 0 0 are mounted. When thebedstead is set up, the tenon on the rail is inserted in the socket inthe bracket and pushed down until its top is flush with the uppersurface of the bracket, the take-up -nut being first turned back farenough to allow the dovetail connection to be made without interferencefrom it; but when this connection is made the said nut is screwed uptight against the abutment to make the tenon immovable in the socket andprevent any motion of the head or foot, as the case may be. In this waya rigid joint or connection is made between the rails and thecornerposts when the bedstead is first set up and the liability of thejoints becoming loose is materially reduced; but if from any cause thejoints should become loose and the head or foot should tend to lose itsperpendicularity this can be corrected by tightening the nut against theabutments of the bracket, thereby taking up -any motion of the rail orrails or the head or foot posts caused by the enlargement of the socket,or from any other cause, and thus the original rigidity of the joint orjoints of the rails with the head and foot posts can be restored. Bothends of each of the rails are provided with these takeup nuts, so thatboth ends of the bedstead can be prevented from becoming loose.

This invention is applicable to the regular side rails and also theshort side rails used to set up these bedsteads in warerooms fordisplaying them, and when used with the latter the accidents thatoccasionally happen by the falling of the head or foot, owing to loosejoints, will be prevented.

In the modification of the invention shown by Fig. 4 the parts of thedovetail joints and the position of the take-up nuts are reversed, thescrew-threaded necks Z Z and the tapered tenonsn n being formed on thebracket 6 itself, while the sockets f f and slots h h are formed in thesquare enlargements k on the ends of the rails, the ends of the saidsquared enlargements forlningthe abutments v1 2' in this case.

The specified form ofthe bracket and the ends of the rails shown anddescribed herein may be varied more or less, and the invention is notlimited to the take-up contrivance described and shown, as equivalentdevices for taking up wear and play in joints may be substituted for itWithout departing from the scope of the invention.

While this invention is described as an improvement applicable tometallic bedsteads, it is not intended to limit its use to that class ofbedsteads only, as it may be adapted to wooden bedsteads havingrailjoints of similar construction.

I claim- 1. In rail-joints for bedsteads the combination of acorner-post, a rail, a bracket projecting from the corner-post, aseparable connection between the bracket and the end of the rail, and anadjustable means between the end of the rail and the face of the bracketfor locking the rail and bracket together for taking up Wear and play,substantially as specified.

2. In rail-joints for bedsteads the com bination of a corner-post, 'arail, a bracket projecting from the corner-post, a dovetail socket inthe bracket which opens through the face thereof, a dovetail tongue onthe end of the rail that fits into the socket in the bracket andconnects the rail and bracket together by a separable joint, and anadjustable means between the end-of the rail and the face of the bracketfor locking the rail and bracket together for taking up wear and play,substantially as specified.

3. In rail-joints for bedsteads the combination with the corner-poststhe rails and the joints between the posts and the rails, ofscrew-threadednecks on the ends of the rails, and take-up nuts mountedon the said necks, substantially as specified.

4. In rail-joints for bedsteads the combination of a corner-post, abracket connected therewith having a socket formed therein and a slotopening from the socket through the face of the bracket, a rail providedwith a neck and a tenon formed on the end of the neck, and an adjustablemeans between the end of the rail and the bracket, substantially asspecified.

5. In rail-joints for bedsteads, the combination of a corner-post, abracket connected therewith having a socket formed therein and a slotopening from the socket through the face of the bracket and abutments oneach side of the slot, a rail having a screw-threaded neck on its endand a tenon on the end of the said screw-threaded neck, and a take-upnut mounted on said screw-threaded neck, substantially as specified.

6. In rail-joints for bedsteads the combination of a corner-post, abracket connected therewith having a tapered or splayed socket formedtherein a slot opening from the socket through the face of the bracketand abutments on each side of the slot, a rail having a screw-threadedneck on its end and a tapered or splayed tenon on the end of the neck,and a take-up nut mounted on the said neck, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I have affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. WITZEL.

Witnesses:

ADAM WIENER, CHARLES C. MENDELL.

